Odometer assembly incorporating electronic drive of speedometer and tachometer

Abstract

A collective drive IC having a drive circuit for driving an electronic integrated distance indicator that indicates distance travelled by a vehicle is mounted on a wiring board together with the electronic integrated distance indicator. Drive circuits for driving a speedometer for indicating travel speed of the vehicle and a tachometer for indicating the number of revolutions of an engine are incorporated in the collective drive IC. The wiring board that has the collective drive IC and the electronic integrated distance indicator is accommodated in a single case to form an odometer unit. The odometer unit is releasably mounted on a meter case to which a main wiring board is fixed.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An odometer unit, comprising: a wiring board;   an electronic integrated distance indicator mounted on said wiring board for indicating distance traveled by a vehicle;   an electronic part mounted on said wiring board and receiving information regarding the driving condition of the vehicle, said electronic part including a first drive circuit for driving said electronic integrated distance indicator according to said information;   a single case accommodating said wiring board having said electronic part and said electronic integrated distance indicator mounted thereon, said single case being releasably mounted on a main wiring board so as to protrude through an opening in said main wiring board, said main wiring board being mounted inside an instrument panel enclosure;   wherein said electronic part includes a second drive circuit for driving an operating condition indicator according to said information, said operating condition indicator indicating an operating condition of said vehicle and being fixed to said instrument panel enclosure while electrically connected to the main wiring board, said main wiring board providing electrical connection between said second drive circuit and said operating condition indicator.   
     
     
       2. An odometer unit according to claim 1, wherein said wiring board includes an electrically conducting portion;   wherein said single case includes an electrically connecting elastic terminal to be in resilient contact with said electrically conducting portion of said wiring board; and   wherein said electrically connecting elastic terminal comes in resilient contact with an electrically conducting portion of said main wiring board when said single case is fixed to said instrument panel enclosure.   
     
     
       3. An odometer unit according to claim 2, wherein said single case includes an engaging pawl engageable with said main wiring board. 
     
     
       4. An odometer unit according to claim 2, wherein said single case includes a mounting flange to be mounted on said main wiring board. 
     
     
       5. An odometer unit according to claim 1, wherein said wiring board includes a connector to be electrically connected to a connecting terminal of said main wiring board so as to facilitate said electrical connection between said second drive circuit and said operating condition indicator. 
     
     
       6. An odometer unit according to claim 1, wherein said operating condition indicator is one of a speedmeter, a tachometer, a fuel indicator and a thermometer.